Real Estate Information Archive

Blog

Now’s the time to get your home staged for sale if you are putting it on the market this Spring. Follow these simple tips to de-clutter, de-personalize and decorate your home in a way that will make it sell faster and at a higher price:

1. Curb appeal and entry: Make sure the exterior and landscaping are in good shape so that potential buyers get a good first impression.

2. Wallpaper and borders: Since wallpaper is very personal, repaint walls using a warm, rich neutral color so that potential buyers won’t feel they have many cosmetic changes to make.

3. Vertical blinds and popcorn ceilings: Both of these are signs of a dated home, so be sure to remove. No window treatments are better than showing ones that are dated.

8. Pets: If you have pets, remove all evidence of having them prior to each showing. Spray air freshener to neutralize pet odors.

9. Maintenance and repairs: Fix any known issues before listing so fewer items appear on the inspection report.

10. Never show a home without furniture: One might think that having an empty house helps the buyer envision their own furniture in the rooms, but instead it just makes the house look unlivable – rent furniture and stage your house if need be.

This video gives some great visuals on what to do to stage your home for sale:

I just saw this piece in Inman News, a well-known Real Estate news source, about two lenders (one of them is local, Wells Fargo, and the other is Quicken Loans), lowering their FICO scores for borrowers. This is great news for anyone lacking a sizable down payment, and also helps people who have low credit scores. Let’s see if other lenders follow suit. Now is the time to buy, and I’m happy to represent you!